Ferrets are carnivores
Ferrets, like cats, are obligate carnivores (meat eaters). They cannot survive without meat in their diet. However, although fresh raw meat is part of the ferret's natural diet, it may contain harmful parasites and micro-organisms that create risks unacceptable to pet owners. Meat is only part of a natural diet: predators eat not only the muscle meat of their prey, they also eat the liver, kidneys, and intestinal tract, and crunch up bones as well. A diet limited to meat alone would cause harmful and eventually fatal nutritional imbalances.
What do ferrets eat?
Ferrets eat either high quality premium cat food or a specially formulated ferret food, now available at pet shops since the 1980s. A good ferret diet must be:
- High in energy
- High in protein
- Low in fiber
Premium quality cat foods sold in pet shops and veterinary clinics are not formulated specifically for ferrets, but most of them are palatable and all of them are nutritionally adequate for pet ferrets. Generic cat foods, sold in grocery and farm supply stores, are NOT good for ferrets. Generic cat foods cost much less than premium foods, but they have some important nutritional deficiencies, and are too low in fat. The ferret has to eat at least twice as much of the cheaper food to get the calories he needs. It is a false economy to buy these products for ferrets.
Finicky ferrets
Ferrets, like some cats, become hooked on a particular flavor or brand of food and are very hard to change, even if the diet they prefer is nutritionally inadequate. It is important to start your young ferret on a good diet that is not likely to become unavailable in the future. The best insurance is to feed a mixture of several kinds of premium quality ferret and cat foods, so that the ferret becomes used to a variety of flavors, and does not insist on one. If one food is temporarily unavailable, the ferret will be accustomed to the other ingredients of his diet and will not notice a big change. Any time you have to drastically change the diet of a ferret, diarrhea and other digestive upsets are likely to follow. The more gradually a change in diet is made, the less upsetting it will be.
Pelleted diets
The best way to feed ferrets is to always leave dry, pelleted food with them. Moist food sours after a few hours, especially in warm weather. This is one of the advantages of a dry diet. Convenience and keeping quality are other advantages, plus the beneficial effect crunchy food has on the ferret's teeth. Ferrets on moist diets develop much more plaque on their teeth sooner than ferrets on the same food fed dry.
Dishes
Ferrets are natural diggers and like to dig their food out of the container, especially if it is filled to the top. The best way to prevent this is to use a deep crockery bowl, or a plastic dish clipped high enough on the side of the cage to make it awkward for the ferret to dig in it. An adult female requires only about a quarter of a cup of food daily, so there is no need to fill the container very full. If you have multiple ferrets, it is better to use several dishes than to try to provide enough food in a single large container.
Water
Ferrets on dry diets must have a constant supply of water. The volume of water required is about three times the volume of dry pellets eaten. In warm weather they drink much more. Ferrets that have no water for 24 hours will stop eating. Water bottles are a convenient way to keep clean water available, but ferrets prefer to drink from a dish and will drink much more from a dish than from a bottle. A dish of fresh water can be clipped onto the side of the cage, or made available to the ferrets when they get out for exercise. Kits and juveniles will usually play in a dish of water left on the cage floor, contaminating it with food and litter.
Food storage
Proper storage of food is important. Pellets are packaged to protect them from moisture. When the bag is opened, it is your responsibility to do this. Store pelleted food no more than 3 months, even in an unopened bag. If you have only one ferret, you will have to buy small packages of food. These are more expensive than bulk quantities, but the food will be fresh and free of mold. Some ferret foods are packaged in milk-carton type containers that seal quite well after opening. Store the contents of large opened bags in plastic bins with snug fitting lids. Bags of food should never be left in a basement or garage, where they will get damp and eventually moldy. Molds make the food unpalatable, and some produce toxins that can make animals very sick, or occasionally cause death.
Snacks
Snacks are good for ferrets: Ferrets don't need snacks, but owners sometimes need to feel good about themselves by giving their pet a treat. A treat can also be a useful training aid, and may some day make the difference between searching for hours for a sleeping ferret, and having the ferret immediately wake up and come to you when you shake the treat can or box.
Snacks are bad for ferrets: Nutritional problems arise when owners give ferrets the wrong kinds of food as treats. Overfeeding sugary snacks can cause health problems, including obesity, tooth decay, and aggravation of hypoglycemia caused by insulinomas. Remember that some fruits such as raisins, a favorite treat for many ferrets, contain large amounts of sugar. Dairy products, although very palatable to ferrets and nutritionally beneficial, cause diarrhea that can be distressing to the owner. Ferrets may become so passionately fond of certain flavors that they won't eat anything else. Most snack foods are not well balanced. Overindulgence produces malnutrition and obesity.
Good Snacks in Limited Quantities
- Commercially packaged meat-based cat or ferret treats, especially liver flavor
- Cooked eggs
- Cooked meat
- Freeze-dried muscle or organ meats, available as commercial treats
- Linoleic acid coat conditioners (e.g.; Linatone, Drs. Foster & Smith Vitacoat, Ferretone, a few drops daily)
Snacks to Avoid
- Marshmallows
- Potato chips
- Peanut butter
- Ice cream
- Soft drinks (sodas)